International Research Fellowship Program: Syndrome of Voracity in the Australian Redback Spider

Johnson, James C, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

0301893 Johnson The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a twenty-four month (within a duration of 27 months) research fellowship by Dr. James Chadwick Johnson to work with Dr. Maydianne Andrade at the University of Toronto-Scarborough in Canada. This project involves the study of sexual cannibalism and a syndrome of voracity in the Australian red-back spider. This project will give insight into proximate mechanisms influencing sexual cannibalism by understanding individual variation in voraciousness, which has important implications in the field of sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems. This approach is novel using proven techniques like laser vibrometry (for quantifying how individual spiders vary in their response to vibrations from prey) and whether metabolic rate varies in individuals voracious responses. His research will further understanding of how life history and behavior correlate with variation in fitness. Spiders, because of their large clutch sizes and short generation time are ideal for studies of behavioral genetics.